Silver Crescent
by desertskiez
Summary: The more she tries to understand, the more she becomes afraid. The more fear she feels, the more she wants to run. How can she explain this to Tala, when she doesn't even know herself? TalaOC.
1. Left Unsaid

Wow, three stories at once! I'm so proud.

Okay guys, review either here or any of my other stories, if in the next chapter you want a teaser into the next posted chapter. If you do, you've got to tell me! Okay?

Disclaimer: Beyblade, it's characters, and it's storyline do not belong to me. This purely a fanwork.

* * *

Max Tate shot out of the classroom as soon as the professor grimly excused the class. He didn't particularly enjoy chemistry, and he knew the professor didn't enjoy his company. Max knew he didn't fit into the class; he only had taken it to cover a core credit necessary for graduation. It certainly wasn't his fault that this happy-go-lucky attitude clashed with his dour professor's. Needless to say in his second week of school, Max was glad to escape the class when he could.

As he raced down the halls past startled students, the blond haired boy glanced down at his green digital watch. _Damn, I'm going to be late! Tyson's going to kill me!_ His bright blue eyes sparkled with anticipation and anxiety as he vaulted over a fire hydrant. His group of friends rarely had any breaks in between classes together. Hell, it was lucky that they attended the same college! This was the one time during the day that they could see each other, and he was late!

Tyson Granger was Max's best friend out of high school, and as he fled down the street, Max smiled at the bluenette's excitable personality and exuberant energy. Tyson had managed to tone his attitude down, which relieved Max. Bailing Tyson out of uncomfortable situations due to his smart mouth was starting to fray Max's nerves.

Luckily, Hilary Tachibana, Tyson's girlfriend was also there to help. She also had mellowed quite nicely into a blossoming young lady. She was an elementary education major, and quite enthusiastic about her future profession. She had grown tall and willowy with large brown eyes and long brown hair. She got quite a bit of attention when she walked into a hall full of males, but Tyson made sure they knew never to touch her. And no one did, especially when they saw Tyson's group of friends.

Kenny, or Chief as he was better known as was planning to major in the computer sciences, and there was nothing in hell that was going to stop him. He had already gotten an internship at the BBA and he was already planning his ascent to power at the top. He loved his laptop with a passion still. Max shook his head in amusement. _One of these days, we're going to diagnose Kenny with obsessive/compulsive disorder…_ Kenny could hardly be pried away from work for fear of being left out of the latest development. He lived with Hilary and Tyson at the dojo, and more than once did Hilary threaten to send his belongings to his BBA office if he didn't come home for dinner at least three times a week.

Ray Kon had grown taller with vibrant yellow eyes that sparkled with delight whenever he saw his girlfriend, Mariah. He was lean and muscular, with long black hair that he tied out of the way. He was easily the best martial arts expert any of them had ever met. He had become even more quiet and reserved in the last few years, but he was still the spine of the team, providing whatever comfort and support that was necessary. He lived with Mariah in a nearby apartment and seemed to be living college life contently.

Max grimly smiled as the thought about the last two of the group. _Kai and Tala. Still the undeniably cold Russians we met all those years ago._ Kai Hiwatari was still the leader of the group, still in charge of their decisions, still the expert blader he was when they first met. His best friend, Tala Volkov rarely spoke in their presence at all, but preferred to be left in the shadows when they discussed beyblading. Kai's dark slate hair, handsome features, and imposing scarf made him a favorite among the college ladies, but he preferred to be left alone to finish his studies. Tala was much of the same, not finding college girls much to his taste. They were both studying to be engineers. Max knew for a fact that Tala kept an eye on girls quite often, but never found anything he wanted. There was always something that was missing. Max didn't know what Tala was looking for, but he knew that when he found the girl, she would be something special. Until then, Tala would avoid the girls who tried to seek him out. They lived in separate dorms on the outskirts of the city.

And who was Max seeing at the time? The blond broke out into an undisguised grin as the object of his affection came into view.

"Max!" A girl with delighted green eyes ran into his arms. "You're late! What is this? Are you and Tyson switching roles on me all of a sudden?"

Max picked her up and swung her around. "No, Miriam," he responded, messing up her dark violet hair, "I just got caught up in Chemistry, that's all."

"Oh. How pleasant. A science class." Miriam made a face. She despised the sciences with all her heart.

He laughed, and as he did so, he glanced at the group coming up to meet him. "Tyson's not angry is he?"

"I seriously doubt it. The kid's probably too distracted wondering where the hell Hilary is. Come sit with Ray, Mariah and me and have a soda. We were just discussing the language requirement in this school." She scowled. "It's just not fair that they already speak Chinese…"

Max was distracted as he was being pulled toward some tables. "Hilary's not here yet? Why not?"

She shrugged. "She just had psychology. God knows what happened."

Max looked at the stricken look on his best friend's face. "I think I should keep Tyson company, at least until Hilary gets here."

Ray quietly murmured, "Here come Kai and Tala."

Kai quickly walked towards the group. He took a look at Tyson dejectedly sitting with Kenny. "Where's Hilary?" he asked, his crimson eyes filling with concern.

Mariah answered steadily. "Not here yet."

Kai nodded and sat down. "Have you guys noticed anything strange recently?"

Max groaned. "Yeah. My chemistry professor hates me. And here I was thinking I was the most lovable guy in the world."

Tala's aquamarine eyes looked faintly amused. "Always the dreamer, aren't we, Tate?"

Miriam stuck her tongue out at him. "He is the most loveable person on Earth. Don't be hating, just because you're jealous Valkov."

"Whatever you say."

Kai's eyes were serious. "I wish Hilary would hurry and get here. I have an important announcement to make.

Ray finished his soda. "Well, if you start the announcement now, Tyson is not going to hear a single word of it."

"I was well aware of that, Ray."

Ray grinned inwardly. He should have known better than to have stated the obvious. Especially when talking to Kai. "Point taken, Captain."

Kai glanced at the amusement glinting in Ray's eyes. Kai's lips turned slightly upwards in a small smile. "At ease, solider."

Max choked on some soda he had been drinking. Miriam had quickly cut off her giggles to disguise them as a minor coughing fit. Kai scowled. _And they wonder why I don't joke around with them more often, _he thought impatiently. _The more jokes I make the more the surprised they get. Let them wonder. Where is Hilary?_

Kai glanced over at Kenny and Tyson again. The dark-eyed Tyson was frighteningly tense. Kai knew Hilary would never stop to flirt with any college guy while she was with Tyson, but that wouldn't stop any guy from trying to take advantage of her. The college campus wasn't exactly safe.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kenny shoot to his feet. "I see Hilary!" His voice conveyed an enormous amount of relief. Tyson had gotten up as well, and had taken a few steps before being thrown backwards by a brunette blur.

"I'm sorry Tyson! I just got so involved with psychology! I totally forgot that I had break! We're working with a partner in class, and I was so glad I had made a friend majoring in elementary education too! Oh, gosh, I didn't mean to make you worry!" Hilary's large brown eyes were pleading. "Tyson?"

Tyson sat up in his chair again, his eyes softening at the sight of his girlfriend. "It's okay Hil. We weren't too worried."

Ray smothered a laugh. _Easy for you to say, Tyson. If she hadn't shown up at that precise minute, you probably would have murdered one of us. Preferably, Kai._

"What's this about a partner?" Tyson demanded gruffly.

Hilary jumped up with excitement. "Oh, it's wonderful. I dragged her all the way out here just so she could meet all of you. She doesn't have too many friends, so I hope you'll adopt her in our family right away!" She turned towards the direction she came from.

"Lynn! Come on, you slowpoke! I want you to meet some people." They all turned expectantly towards the direction Hilary was looking in.

* * *

Tala's eyes widened considerably, and he drew in his breath sharply. Hilary was a lovely young lady, and clearly the apple of Tyson's eye, but this young lady she brought with her was absolutely stunning. Even Mariah and Miriam, who were beautiful in their own rights couldn't compare. 

Long ebony locks cascaded down small shoulders and framed a delicate face with high cheekbones, graceful lips, and vibrant green eyes that looked at them with curiosity. Thin arms hung at her side, and her small figure was accented in a short black dress that had small flowers embroidered in silver. A small necklace graced her neck, with a single black pearl sitting at the base of her collarbone. Fragile legs stood still when they realized they were at the center of attention. Lynn's long lashes blinked at the sight of many strangers and the dark green eyes quickly and pointedly looked down at her small feet, covered in black sandals.

Tala had taken one look in those forest green eyes. He felt attracted to the girl, and his eyes roamed up and down her figure. She refused to look up. He smiled, for she reminded him of a shy child afraid to play on the swings with the other children. But she was a woman, a female with ethereal beauty. Innocent, mature, childish, beautiful. He could think of so many ways to describe her, and he had not said a word to her.

Hilary walked to Lynn. "Dear," she scolded gently, "You absolutely cannot be shy around these people. I told you, it's impossible. Especially around Tyson. If you don't speak up, he's not going to hear you. At eighteen he's losing his hearing quite quickly."

Lynn quietly let Hilary lead her to the group. "Guys, this is Lynn Fukumoto. She's my partner in psychology, and she's also a elementary ed major. She's very new to the area, so we need to help her out."

Lynn smiled, "I don't want to be a bother Hilary."

Hilary laughed. "You won't be, trust me. Let me finish the introductions. This guy who refuses to let me go is Tyson Granger, my boyfriend. The one with the laptop is Kenny. Let's see. Ray Kon is the one with black hair, and his girlfriend waving at you is Mariah. Oh, hi Maxie! Max Tate, the blond boy who can't stop smiling. On his right is his girl Miriam. The one with the two toned hair is our team captain, Kai Hiwatari. Try to at least look happy, Kai. And next to him, with the red hair is Tala Valkov."

Lynn had looked and nodded to each person in turn, but when she looked at Tala, he gave her a radiant smile that she couldn't resist smiling back at. She was normally reserved with strangers, but this guy captivated her. With only a glance.

Hilary, thankfully, hadn't noticed. "Why don't you sit with that larger group over there while I try to pry Tyson off of me?"

Kai stood up. "No need to, Hilary. I need to talk to all of you about your blades, and now that I have Tyson's attention, I can do that." He turned to the newcomer. "Do you beyblade?"

Lynn shook her head. Kai nodded and turned his attention away from her. She saw an empty seat nearby and walked towards it. To her surprise, Tala had gotten there first. The boy showed amazing speed and versatility when the occasion called for it. He gestured that she should sit, and like a gentleman, helped her into her seat. Then he pulled up a chair near her and focused all his attention on Kai.

Kai took out his Dranzer the rest of the group saw that the blade was emitting sounds and lights. It seemed that Dranzer was restless and wanted to be released from the blade. Ray frowned and reached in his pocket for Driger. The same was true for him. Tyson and Max took out their blades and were amazed that their bitbeasts were acting restless as well. Finally all the bladers took out their blades. Something was making them act out of character.

Mariah looked at Kai. "Okay. I'll bite. What's making them act this way?"

Kai shrugged. I was hoping you'd be able to tell me. Tala and I noticed this about three days ago. At first I thought it was only an individual problem, but now I'm beginning to have my doubts."

Ray's frown got deeper. "Do you have any clue what's making them act this way?"

Kai began to pace. "They don't constantly act this way. Whenever I am at home with my blade, it acts perfectly normal. It never goes out of character. And sometimes when I'm in school, it looks like a normal blade. But then there are times when Dranzer goes completely haywire. And I can't explain why. Any suggestions?" He looked around the group.

Hilary tentatively joked, "Maybe you guys don't train with as much anymore and they're itching for a battle."

Max looked at her. "Knowing Kai, he's probably doubled his training since we hit college. That can't be it. It has to be some outside force… Something physical? Magnetic force field maybe?"

Kai frowned. "That's a definite possibility." He glanced at his watch. "Damn. Time to start heading to calculus. Fun." He looked at the others. "I want you to observe your bitbeasts and what could be affecting them. Can we meet somewhere afterward?"

Hilary beamed. "Dinner at Tyson's! I'll cook!"

Tyson choked, "What! Hilary, Grandpa's gonna have a fit!"

"Nonsense. He'll enjoy the company. He hasn't seen everyone in so long."

"Well, that's true. What about Hiro? My anti-social brother probably won't like guests!"

"He knows everyone here, except for Lynn. He'll want to know how everyone is. Hiro likes company every once in a while."

Miriam glanced at Mariah. "Mariah and I will help cook too. Meet you at three thirty at the parking lot, Hilary?"

"Sure! Dinner's at seven then!"

"We'll be there."

Kai nodded and made to leave. "Let's go. Tala, I think you're in my class?"

The red-head smiled. "We're only majoring in the same subject."

"That was no fault of mine."

Lynn had been looking at her hands in her lap during the whole meeting. She looked up as Tala walked away from her.

Without warning he turned back to her and gently tilted her chin upward and gazed into her dark depths.

His ice-blue gaze was mesmerizing. She still wasn't able to look away from him.

He smiled. "I want to remember your stunning eyes. I think we'll be seeing more of each other, Lynn."

Her blush was slight. "I think so too, Tala."

He released her. "Hilary," he said calmly without breaking his gaze with Lynn, "Lynn is invited as well? She is, after all, a new friend."

Hilary looked surprised. "Oh, I'm sorry, Lynn, I forgot to invite you! Of course you're welcome to stay with us as well."

Lynn broke the gaze first to look at Hilary shyly. "I think I'd like that."

"Great! Want to meet the rest of the girls at the parking lot too?"

"Yes."

"See you there then!" Hilary walked away with Tyson and Kenny. Lynn still had an hour left in her break. She looked up, then realized Tala hadn't walked away.

Tala looked into her eyes again. "Keep safe, before then Lynn. I want to see you and your green eyes again."

She couldn't speak. She only nodded.

In a sweeping movement, he walked over to a waiting Kai.

The rest of the group dispersed.

* * *

Kai walked briskly to their next class. He looked over at his best friend and casually remarked, "I see you made an impression on Lynn." 

"I'm very good at making impressions."

"You've found what you've been looking for."

"I didn't realize I was looking for anything." Tala's voice had gotten sharper.

"Well, you must have been the only one who didn't know that. Unless," Kai smiled, "Lynn's still up for grabs."

"If you even think of making a move on her, I'm going to make sure you don't have any thoughts like that for a very, very long time."

"That's what I thought."

"Speaking of thoughts, you didn't reveal all we discussed at the little meeting earlier."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "There was hardly enough time."

"Right. You just don't like to admit to gut intuition unless you have evidence to back it up."

"I'll mention it at tonight's meeting."

"I'm relieved." Tala easily climbed the stairs two at a time, after Kai.

"Your sarcasm needs work." Kai glanced back at his friend before they entered the classroom.

* * *

Lynn walked to the edge of campus. She was still feeling the effects of Tala's gaze, but something else was bothering her. The meeting that she had been listening to… 

"_Child, you have nothing to fear…"_

She stopped dead in her tracks.

"_It is nothing, pure coincidence. The others had to be destroyed. Do you understand? This is different. I don't wish to destroy."_

She crouched down, her head spinning. _But you said last time it was an accident…_

"_Don't be a fool. They had to go. They were hurting you. Child, I did it all for you."_

_Leave me alone!_

"_Darling, I'm the only one you've got now. Well, I suppose you do have that idiot of a girl as your friend…"_

_Shut up and leave me alone!_

"_You won't always feel this way. You'll understand someday."_

_Go away!_

Lynn felt the presence smirk. _"Oh yes, Child. You'll understand someday. I'm the only one who cares."_

Lynn raced to her car. Her head throbbed and ached, and so did her heart. She sunk into the driver's seat, breathing heavily. She needed to get home. She would take the bus back to school to meet Hilary. Lynn looked into her rearview mirror, and into the forest-green eyes Tala found fascinating.

_I am not crazy.

* * *

_

Okay guys, remember, let me know if, at the ending of Chapter Two (which will hopefully be posted by this weekend) you want a teaser for Chapter three. It'll help keep me motivated. Thanks! 


	2. It's All About How You Tell Them

Sorry. Just updating when I can.

Chapter Two- It's All About How You Tell Them

"You can ride in my van, Lynn. Mariah and I usually drive to school together anyway. Mari, you don't mind if you ride in Hilary's car do you? I know Lynn's your new best friend, Hil, but I'd like to get to know her too." Miriam flashed the new girl a friendly grin as she pulled out a set of car keys.

Lynn smiled shyly back. Mariah laughed and gave Miriam a playful poke. "All right. I'll ride with Hilary, but I get first dibs on Lynn for girl talk when we reach the house."

"Deal!" Miriam and Hilary chorused. Hilary slid into the driver's seat of her car and Mariah hopped into the passenger's seat. Hilary opened a window and called out to the girls making their way to Miriam's car. "Miriam, we're going to do some shopping before we head over to the dojo. Why don't you let yourself in the house and start prepping with Lynn? Grandpa will let you guys in."

"Awesome. Thanks Hilary!" Miriam unlocked her doors and motioned for Lynn to sit in the passenger seat. She turned her car on, and began to drive off.

"Any preference in music?" she casually asked.

Lynn shook her head. "Not really."

Miriam glanced at the girl nervously fingering the silver chain of her necklace. "You don't really have to worry about being with us. You've already caught Tala's eye," she teased lightly.

Lynn's cheeks turned a light pink. "I didn't think anyone noticed."

"You're not used to attention are you?"

Lynn shifted in her seat. "Well," she answered slowly, "I am. But I don't think much of it. It's basically only attention from my friends and family anyway, since I like pulling pranks."

"Good! You'll fit right in with me and Max."

"Oh? What about everyone else?" She questioned.

"We're all going to be awesome friends, trust me. Tala will make sure of that, you can bet on it." She watched as the girl blushed again, and laughed.

"So let's have some girl talk before Mariah can steal you away. She's a good friend, but she won't leave me with a moment with you when she gets a hold of you. She may even ignore Ray tonight, she's so eager to talk to you."

"Really?" Emerald eyes gleamed with interest.

"Of course. We're always dying to meet new people. So, any boyfriends I should be warning Tala against? Though, if you do have a boyfriend and Tala gets wind of him, I would advise him to run as fast as he can."

Lynn giggled. Miriam noticed how her face lit up in a genuinely lovely smile. _Tala sure knows how to pick them._

"No. No boyfriend. Never had one to begin with. Quite odd, but I never had time to date."

Miriam gasped in mock horror. "Not even a prom date, my dear? Deprived, weren't we!"

Lynn's smile blossomed. "I suppose. It just didn't appeal to me at the time."

"So what are you doing at the university?"

"Surviving."

Miriam laughed. "Aren't we all? Undecided on a major?"

"Nope, Education field, with Hillary. And you?"

"I'm trying to figure out what kind of major doesn't require any mathematics or sciences." Miriam scowled. "I like to beyblade, but I don't want to know why it works. Just knowing it works makes me happy."

"What about Max?"

"He's just checking out what he likes. When he finds his passion, he'll know."

Lynn hesitated then decided to ask, "How did you guys get together?"

She watched the corners of Miriam's dark eyes crinkle with laughter. "This is my favorite story to tell. Our relationship was filled with teasing mostly. He and I love to laugh. It was sort of frustrating for Hilary and Mariah though when Max was trying to scrape up the courage to ask me out."

"Why?"

"Because he was so shy! The blunderbuss would only ask me on dates if he had Hilary's or Mariah's help." Miriam grinned. "It was getting to the point where Mariah and Hilary would be practically be wearing signs that read, 'Miriam will you go out with me? – Max,' just to try to help him out. It is a miracle we're going steady now. He took about three months trying to ask me. My brother, Joseph, was starting to wonder if he'd ever get to tease me about having a boyfriend." She made a right turn.

She looked at Lynn as she waited for a red light. "It was so funny, at the beginning," she said her eyes sparkling. "He and Tyson were completely oblivious to the fact that Hilary and I were trying to convince them we were head over heels in love with them." She frowned. "Did I just use a cliché? Ugh. Anyway, Mari had a hell of a time trying to get us hooked up. Hilary can tell you her side of the story. For me, Max was in love, and I was in love. Humorous people can be plenty stubborn too. We admitted that there was some chemistry between us, but we just refused to get it going. Funny how that can all change when you realize one day that he's something to be treasured. Even funnier how he realized the same about me the same day." Her eyes softened.

"But you've been happy ever since?" Lynn's eyes were questioning.

"And that's the goddamn truth." Miriam turned into an open lot. "We're here. Let's go see if Grandpa Granger is home."

He was home and pleased to hear that there was a gathering at his house. "We need more young blood around here! Glad to see Hilary's making a new pal. I trust you've met my grandson?"

Lynn's eyes danced with amusement. She liked the old man already. "Yes sir."

Miriam asked, "Sorry Gramps, but could Lynn and I be excused to the kitchen? Hilary wants us to get a head start on dinner, lest we all starve."

"Sure! I can't wait. It's a nice change. Why isn't Tyson here? The least you gals could have done was to make him help too. The boy's got a mean appetite, and I don't expect him to leech off of other people forever! He's gotta fend for himself sometime!"

"He was busy, and he'll be home later. But thanks! Come on, Lynn." Miriam practically dragged Lynn into the kitchen.

"He's really nice." Lynn was smiling beautifully now. "I can kind of see why Hilary and Tyson are the way they are.

Miriam groaned. "Oh, believe me. You have not seen Tyson at his worst yet. Though, admittedly, he has gotten better." She smiled at Lynn's confused look. "Don't worry. You'll get to know all of us, sooner or later. We'll be more than happy to swap stories."

They worked in the kitchen for a little while, and soon enough they heard Hilary's voice call, "Grandpa, we're home!"

Mariah raced into the kitchen. "And if I remember correctly, I still have dibs on Lynn! Come on, honey, you can help me make Ray's favorite dish." The pink-haired girl took hold of Lynn's arms and soon they were both chopping vegetables.

Mariah gave Lynn a cat-like grin. "So, what has Miriam told you about me?"

Lynn cast a shy glance at her, and then at Miriam, who gave her a smile and a nod. "We talked about her and Max, mostly."

Mariah pretended to look outraged. "Miriam, I thought the plan was to feed her information on Tala!"

"Hey, not like I didn't try, Mari!" Miriam called back, laughing. "Can I help it if we decide to talk about my favorite subject?"

Mariah rolled her eyes and whispered, "At least that much is true. Given the opportunity and time, she'd never shut up about Max."

"Don't you feel the same about Ray?"

"Of course."

Lynn smiled. "He seems really smart and quiet about things." She had really liked Ray when she met him. In a way, he was kind of like Lynn, only less shy.

Mariah dumped all their chopped vegetables into one bowl. "Oh he is!" she exclaimed. "He's very thoughtful about everyone in our group and especially of me. I'm sure he likes you too. Of course," she added slyly, "anyone who can catch the eye of Tala is certainly someone special."

Lynn's cheeks burned a little. "Did everyone notice that?"

"Well, putting it bluntly, yes."

Lynn changed the subject. "Miriam told me how she and Max hooked up…"

Mariah groaned. "Oh my god. That was a nightmare. I nearly asked her out for him. Even Tyson was beginning to wonder when they would end up together, and Tyson's usually oblivious to everyone. I was banging my head on walls every time they'd get together for a group outing."

Miriam interrupted, "She's not kidding. She was literally smacking herself whenever Max would try to flirt with me. That is, she'd do it to vent frustration and try not to take it out on Max. He's a natural sweetie, but when he tries to purposely flirt with a girl, he gets it all wrong. The best and only thing he should do is to be his funny self. Mariah tried to tell him that once, but he didn't think he needed her advice."

Mariah muttered, "Yeah, let's see how far he gets without my advice the next time before I get the chance to shoot him."

Lynn was interested now. "What did he do that was so bad?"

"Took to her a romantic movie. That plan failed miserably because they both hate sappy story lines. They ended up sniggering through they entire movie because Max kept trying to add to the storyline. He kept up a running commentary the entire night. He tried to take her to a fancy dinner, but he forgot to make reservations, and I refused to let him go in what he was wearing. Who goes to a dinner wearing sneakers? And shabby jeans? Of course Miriam thought that was a grand idea, with her sense of humor and all. I thought she'd die laughing with Max in the comfort of my living room!" Mariah was huffing now.

Miriam's eyes were flowing with mirthful tears. "But Mari," she choked, "the expression you were wearing was hilarious! And we couldn't help but imagine what would happen if we walked in like that! Even Max understood that!"

The pink haired girl shrugged and turned to Lynn. "You see what I mean? They were so perfect; they were bound to drive me nuts. Don't you dare do the same with Tala. I could be liable to shoot you both."

"Thanks for the warning." Lynn turned to Hilary who was engaged in baking the meatloaf she and Miriam had prepared. "What about you Hil? Did you have problems getting Tyson?"

Mariah rolled her eyes. "Not quite," she said, answering for Hilary. "Tyson was more than eager to ask this brown-haired beauty for a date, but they had clashing attitudes for the longest time."

Hilary grimaced a little. "I was a little immature in my younger years…"

Miriam stirred the soup they had prepared. "That's a small understatement, Hil."

"Okay, okay. I was an annoying, pushy brat. So was Tyson. The only difference between us was that I could fit my ego through the door."

Lynn was slightly surprised. Hilary was bubbly, but she wasn't exactly pushy, according to her knowledge. But then again, she only befriended her a few hours ago.

Meanwhile, Mariah had laughed. "Boy, are you still bitter about that! Tyson could be absolutely harsh when he spoke to Hilary! Of course, he doesn't do that now, but man! He could really stick a knife in her heart."

Hilary looked slightly hurt. "Well, yes. But he and I have changed. I'm glad we're together."

Miriam's smile was mischievous. "Oh, don't give us the innocent act. You know perfectly well that you matched and topped some of Tyson's best insults. You were just as bad as he was!"

Hilary smirked a little. "OK. I am a little proud of that," she remarked wickedly.

The girls laughed. They were startled when Kenny stuck his head in the doorway.

"Is dinner ready yet?"

Tyson's hands shoved Kenny out of the way and he grinned at Hilary. "Yeah, the guys are here, and we're all starving!"

"Tyson, it's only six! We said dinner at seven! Go back and have your 'boy-talk', we're busy here. Go catch up with Kenny, he's hardly around for a discussion, on a normal basis, anyway."

Kenny protested, "That's not true Hilary! I just happen to be very busy, that's all! Why, at the offices…" He found that he could not finish his sentence as a taller and stronger Miriam shoved him and Tyson out of the kitchen and into the hallway.

"And don't come back until we call you!"

Hilary's brown eyes sparkled with laughter. "Nice move," she said appreciatively.

"When your team is all guys, you learn how to let them know to give you privacy. Especially if one of them is your brother."

"But Joseph isn't all that bad. I think."

"Exactly. That's what you think." Miriam's eyes showed irritation as the door opened again. "Kenny, if I have to tell you one more time…" she threatened as she turned around to face the intruder.

Icy blue eyes looked back at the irate girl in amusement. "Oops. Wrong pair of green eyes. I'm looking for a pair that looks a little happier to see me."


	3. Don't Think She'll Escape

You know, I meant to update ages ago, but alack! I...quite simply got lazy. Here's the update.

* * *

Chapter Four.

Lynn quickly stood and smiled brightly at Tala. He caught his breath again, and suppressed the urge to whistle in appreciation. _She is gorgeous when she smiles…_

Her smile and eyes were less shy than they were a few hours ago, and now she seemed really eager to see him again. He'd taken his time coming over to Tyson's house, killing time by playing billiards with Kai for a couple of hours. Kai knew he hadn't really wanted to play, but humored him anyway, because it was fun shooting the redhead knowing looks when he missed easy shots.

Ah, so he couldn't help being distracted. Bah at Kai, who knew that his best friend could be so goddamn perceptive?

Mariah was determined to have this relationship work out, and with as few headaches as possible. "Ah, you know what? We've got dinner covered for now. Tell the guys we'll be out in a few, and go introduce Lynn to them. They barely talked to her during break. Tell all of them to be nice, or we'll take dinner back and scorch it. On purpose." She shoved the new couple out the door before quickly slamming it behind Lynn's back. "Have fun. We'll hold the fort while you're gone."

Lynn grabbed the handle and twisted. Locked. "Ma-ri-ahhh…" she hissed, trying to open the door again.

"Miriam, do you hear anything?" she heard the neko-jin girl ask her friend.

"Uh, no. I'm pretty sure Lynn and Tala, LEFT ALREADY." Miriam said, emphasizing the last part pretty heavily. Lynn was pretty sure they were right next to the door, and she glared at it, as if she could burn a hole through the woodgrain, before sighing and turning around.

Lynn blushed furiously and glanced up at the tall male who found the whole affair amusing. He leaned against the wall opposite her, his eyes narrowed and studying her, almost making her feel self-conscious.

She thought he was rather cute, with bright red hair, and a devious smile that reminded her of her own mischievousness. He was also very well built, and moved with grace and ease, as if he were a dancer. His eyes were rather cold, however, and it did seem he was quite reluctant to allow any warmth be read in them. All Lynn could really read was the sardonic humor that lay behind his eyes.

However, the attraction was clearly there, and she knew it. She sighed inwardly. She'd never really had time for love, or even teenage crushes before. Her cousin (who liked to think of himself as her brother) would chase all would-be boyfriends away with a gentle smile and quite possibly threats on their life when she wasn't looking. She wouldn't put it past him. He was, at the very least, excruciatingly overprotective.

She also pretty sure that he'd carried out at least a couple of the suspected threats. He wouldn't have look so cheeky otherwise when she'd complained of a loss of love life. Darn little bugger.

She should have called him "Dad" in retaliation. Ah, well, nothing in life ever came easy, and that clearly included insults.

Tala grinned at her flushed face. "You'll get used to it. They've done this to each other so many times; they probably think that it's normal."

"I'll bet," she muttered.

"Thank you. Now that you have gotten acquainted with the girls, I shall take this opportunity to steal you away to get to know me and the rest of the guys. They won't mind."

Tala was rarely ever wrong, but today was an exception. Tyson seemed especially displeased that he wouldn't be able to see his girlfriend until the meal started.

"Why does Tala get to see his girl now? I get thrown out of a kitchen, and he ends up with Lynn! There is something wrong here!" Tyson grumbled.

Lynn's eyes were startled. "His girl?" she enunciated slowly. "Am I missing something here, or is this some sort of quiz show?"

"Tyson doesn't know what he's talking about," Tala replied shooting a nasty glare in Tyson's direction.

Max gave them both a teasing smile. "I think I do. You sure move fast, don't you, Tala?"

"I have no idea what you guys are talking about. Look at that, you're embarrassing her! Now Miriam is going to burn your dinner, Tate, and I'm going to kick your ass. Whatever happened your manners?" Tala threw him a glare.

"What? Wait, how is kicking my ass going to teach me about manners?"

"You'll think twice before harassing girls, won't you?"

Max laughed. "Maybe not. It's nice knowing that even you are uncomfortable."

Lynn's cheeks burned. _I've only met them a few hours ago! How did I get myself into this? Granted, Tala is nice, but it's not like we're dating!_

"_Correct, Child. You aren't. But wouldn't he be perfect if you were!"_

An ashen look fell over Lynn's face as she heard the voice in her head again. _No… not now!_

"_But child, he is perfect! Just what you need. And you're in love with him; even I can see that."_

_Leave him alone!_

"Lynn?" Tala's voice had an edge of concern to it. "Is anything wrong?"

Although they couldn't see anything visibly wrong, other than Lynn's pale face, the boys in the room felt a heavy weight, a heavy aura pressing upon them. It intruded on their very thoughts.

And on top of that, Kai could feel Dranzer's power starting to go haywire again. Not a good sign.

Lynn looked at Tala, but she seemed distracted. "No, nothing's wrong. I must use the restroom… and then I must see to the rest of the girls." She gave him a weak smile. "I can't just leave them in there."

Tala frowned. "I don't think they minded, otherwise they wouldn't have let you come with me."

There was something definitely wrong. He could feel her shaking, even if he wasn't touching her. She was panicking.

"No, no. I must help. I'm just a tagalong here. And Tyson's right, it's not fair if I'm here and the rest of the girls aren't. I'll see you all at dinner. It was meeting you all!" With a small wave, she quickly left the room.

Tala looked after her and then glared at Max. "You better pray she wasn't upset at anything you said, Tate."

Max was startled. "Why would she be?"

Kai answered for them all. "I don't know."

* * *

Lynn rushed to the bathroom, breathing hard, and quietly closed the door behind her. If she slammed it, she knew they would know something was wrong.

She addressed the voice. _You will leave Tala alone. You will leave all my friends alone. I don't need you, and I don't need you in my head. Is that understood?_

"_Lynn, you know I only speak the truth. And you know I'm only here to protect you. He won't hurt you. They all won't hurt you. I want you to make friends."_

_Liar! You've made me run away from everyone!_

"_Lynn, I couldn't let you stay with those friends,_" the voice was filled with scorn. _"They were only there to hurt you. These won't."_

_You… aren't… going… to… hurt… them._

"_No, of course not! I would never!"_

_I don't trust you._

The voice laughed. _"But Child, whoever trusts the voices in their head anyway?"_

Lynn's eyes grew wide with wild fear. _Shut up! I'm not crazy!_

"_Child, your father thought the same thing when he was alive as well. Look where that got him."_

_Don't you talk about my father!_

"_Child, I don't want to hurt you. You're all I have. I'm all you have. I won't hurt you or anyone around you unless they try to hurt you. Don't worry."_

_I'm doing fine. Leave me alone!_

"_Whatever you say, Child. Whatever you say."_

Lynn closed her eyes, but she knew that the necklace she was wearing started to emit a strange glow and warmth in the cold, dark bathroom. She held back her tears, as well as the dread in her heart.

* * *

"Back so soon, Lynn?" Mariah was surprised. _I expected better from Tala. This girl isn't someone you just flirt with and move on from. She's something to be treasured. Not to mention I will kick his retarded ass. No manners, those boys._

"Yes. I couldn't leave you guys behind. Are you going to be serving the dishes soon?" Lynn avoided her friends' eyes. "The boys are starving."

Hilary was about to answer when she was interrupted by her boyfriend. "Hil," Tyson called through the door. "Hiro just called. He says to start dinner without him. He's going to be late."

Hilary sighed. "That's fine." She turned to the rest of the group. "Between him and Kenny, I don't know which one I see less."

Miriam gave her a sympathetic look. "It's ok. At least you still have Tyson. What I wouldn't give to be free of Joseph, Ozuma, and Dunga for a few hours."

"You're free from them now," Mariah said pointedly.

"Oh yes. And I'll probably get it once I get home. They'd seriously starve if I wasn't there to cook everyday."

Hilary smiled. "Think they'd last tonight?"

The violet-haired girl scowled. "Oh, they'll probably order a pizza. Or several hundred boxes. Those guys can eat!"

Mariah laughed, "Well, so can these guys. Let's go feed them."

The three girls had set the table while Lynn had gone with Tala. All they did was deliver the food, then call the boys in. It was a buffet-like family dinner, so it was easy to serve.

Tyson, Max and Ray gave their respective girlfriends a kiss, gently helped the girls into a seat, and then eagerly sat down to eat. Kenny was dragged into the room, away from his laptop, by an irritated Kai and a bemused Tala. After unceremoniously dumping Kenny in his seat, Tala glanced at Lynn, kissed her cheek, and guided her into her seat next to him.

"Are you okay?" He asked with concern.

She smiled gently. "Yes, Tala."

He charmingly grinned back at her, and gestured that she should eat. She obediently picked up her fork and began her meal.

"Tyson, did Hiro say when he was going to come back? I have to set aside some food for him." Hilary looked slightly weary.

"No, but I don't think he'll be that late."

Kenny perked up. "Did he say what he was working on?"

Miriam kicked him from under the table. "Whatever it is, I don't want to hear it. Can we please eat without you getting excited about your office work?"

Kenny scowled and sat back in his seat. "Well, what else is there to talk about?"

Kai muttered, "How about saving the talking for later and eating for now?"

"Sounds good," Ray commented, grinning as Kai sent him a fierce scowl.

They quickly finished dinner, as no one was really in the mood to argue with Kai. After the dinner dishes were done and put away, the group settled in Tyson's family room.

Kai started off the discussion. "Tala and I have this theory on why our blades are acting so strange…"

"And?" Mariah questioned.

"Well, we have no evidence to go on this, but we think there's another bitbeast out there. A very strong bitbeast, one that is enticing our bitbeasts into battle."

Max frowned. "All of our bitbeasts at once? That's impossible!"

Kai nodded grimly. "As I said, I have no evidence for this, so I can't say it for sure."

Ray looked out the window thoughtfully. "But you must have some sort of reason why you think it's a bitbeast."

"It's a feeling. Tala and I grew up around strange and powerful forces. It just feels like a strange and powerful presence that manifests itself strongly at will. Call it a sixth sense on our part. But we have nothing more than that gut feeling."

"Other than it feels right and we have no other plausible explanation for this phenomenon," Tala added.

Miriam frowned. "Can you tell what it's after? Why it is deciding to make itself known to us now?"

"Nope. Our sixth sense isn't that good." Kai gave the group a wry grin. "We were hoping someone would come up with another theory, or at least add on to ours."

Tyson rested his head on Hilary's shoulder. "Could it still be a physical event, like how Max suggested earlier?"

"Perhaps. If it is, we need to find out what is causing it, and why. Kenny, do you think you and your research could dig up something?"

Kenny shrugged. "I can try. I'm kind of busy at the offices, though."

Miriam groaned. "Couldn't you spare five minutes for your friends, Kenny? This is kind of important."

Kenny said defensively, "Hey, I said I could try. What else do you want me to say?"

Ray exchanged a look with Mariah and said, "This could be worth your while if it turns out to be a major breakthrough in bitbeast technology."

Kenny seemed to brighten at that prospect. "True. Okay, I'll check up on it."

"Check up on what?" a new voice entered the room.

* * *

"Hiro! Oh, do you want dinner, Hiro? I saved you some food," Hilary rushed to get Tyson's older brother a plate. "Stay there, I'll bring you your food." The rest of them were staring at the blue haired newcomer in near shell-shock-- it was rare that Hiro ever had the chance to come home on time to eat with the rest of them. Not that he was on time, but usually, he didn't come back to the house until the early morning hours. It had been a while that any of them had seen him outside of the BBA offices.

Hiro wasn't listening. He was staring straight at Lynn who was looking back at him as though she had seen a ghost.

"Jin…?" She managed to say.

Hiro's face broke into a wide grin that reminiscent of Tyson's. "Only you would call me that, Lynn." He laughed and picked her up and hugged her. "My god, I haven't seen you in forever! How are you?"

Tyson was dumbfounded. "You guys know each other?"

Hiro looked at him in amusement. "You're looking at the girl who gave me the nickname Jin. She's the reason I became 'Jin of the Gale'! Do you remember why, Lynn?"

She giggled softly. "Of course. Because Jin rhymes with Lynn!"

Tala had been studying her face. When she first saw Hiro, she seemed utterly delighted, and her face had taken on a lighter quality. Now, though it was apparent that she was happy to see Hiro, her eyes were wary. As if seeing him brought both happy and disappointing memories.

"Are you beyblading?" Hiro asked.

Tala knew Hiro had said the wrong thing. Lynn's smile had dropped off her face. "No," she answered shortly. "I'm not."

Hiro looked stunned. "What did your mother say?'

"Mother died almost a year ago." She looked at no one now.

"Oh dear. Lynn, I'm sorry." Hiro's eyes were filled with distress.

"It's ok. I've moved on. I'm fine." Lynn still didn't look up. "I probably should go anyway. I live quite a ways out anyway, and I work tomorrow. Hiro, I'll stop by to chat with you later. I'll see everyone else in school."

"Do you need a ride?" Miriam studied her, startled. "I can give you a lift home, you know."

"Nah, I'll be fine. The bus has got me covered. The stop's not too far from here anyway." She stood up. "Thanks for dinner Hilary. See you!" She trotted out the door, calling a goodbye out the Tyson's grandfather who was perched in his own room watching a baseball game.

Tala exchanged a look with Kai, whose expression clearly said that he thought the redheaded blader should run after the girl and at least walk her to the bus stop.

Tala was inclined to agree, if it weren't for the feeling he got that told him he should give her a lot of space right now. They were not emotionally tied in any way, whatsoever.

He just chose to ignore the fact that something inside of him told him that he was concerned for this small girl he just met.

After a minute of stunned silence, Tyson turned to his brother. "I think you've got some major explaining to do."

Hilary had quietly placed Hiro's dinner in front of him. Hiro thoughtfully looked at the food before answering. "I met Lynn about two years ago, in a nearby neighborhood. She was visiting some relatives." He glanced around at the group._ No, I don't think I should tell them who she was visiting, just yet._

_Flashback_

"_So hold your back straighter and your arms more level, and you should be launching better in no time." Hiro glanced around the group of young bladers and asked, "Is there anyone who has never launched a beyblade before?"_

"_My cousin hasn't!" A teenage boy with bluish-green eyes was grinning at a girl about his age._

_Hiro waved her over and placed a launcher in her hands. "What's your name?"_

_She laughed. "Lynn Fukumoto."_

"_Hiro." He held out his hand. "Nice to meet you."_

_She playfully frowned at him. "You know, you don't look like a Hiro. You look like someone whose name starts with a 'J'. I know! I'll call you Jin! Because Jin rhymes with Lynn!"_

_Her cousin rolled his eyes. "Lynn, that was corny."_

"_Oh really? Let's see you come up with something better." She tossed her ebony hair behind her._

"_Ok, Lynn, were you listening on to how to launch a beyblade?" Hiro watched the girl nod. "Let's see you put that in action then."_

_Lynn let it rip, and Hiro was surprised to see the accuracy and skill she seemed to possess. Just for fun, he decided to launch is blade as well. "Give me your best shot, Lynn!" _

_Her laughter trilled. "I'm afraid it's not going to be too good. It is, after all, my first time!"_

Hiro looked at his brother. "That was an understatement. She was the best damn rookie I've ever come up against. According to her and her cousin, it was her first time even picking up a beyblade, but she handled it like a pro. She nearly beat me! It was sheer dumb luck that I won. She had boundless talent and potential! If I wasn't busy at the time, I probably would have trained and coached her myself. She could have easily kicked your ass at the world championships, Tyson."

Tyson scowled. "Well, where was she?"

Hiro shrugged. "That's the thing. She was hardly interested in beyblading. She came to see my workshop mainly to humor her cousin. They were rather close. It was a shame because she was so talented. I was hoping that she'd at least pick it up as a hobby, but I guess not."

Kai asked quietly, "Why hadn't she picked it up before then?"

Hiro looked surprised. "I never thought of that. I honestly don't know."


End file.
